#absolutely love crossbones | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

acefaun · 1 year

Text

Zodiac Pirates

Synopsis: Captain Leon of ‘the Golden Wish’ and his first mate, Karno VS Captain Zyglavis of ‘the Black Punisher’ and his first mate, Scorpio. They're both sent by the King of Heavenia to find his treasure... Little do they know the treasure they're looking for is actually a person.

✨Masterlist✨ Female goldfish! (MC is going to be referred to as a he/him through most of this because she's a pirate and female pirates are taboo. I'm saving your life, you're welcome. 😘)

A/n: Happy mermay! There’s no mermaids in here… but ya get some fabulous pirates, so~ If you do want a mermaid fic… hit me with some kind of prompt, because I’m at a loss.

–Word Count: 15,332–

The wind whipped against the ship's sails, the flag of a skull with crossbones flapping high above the mast. Karno loved the sensation of the salty sea air, that's why he relished his position as first mate on board the Golden Wish. His eyes stayed peeled as they sailed nearer the port. They had to find their target as soon as possible.

Karno knew that his Captain absolutely loathed the thought of letting the captain of the Black Punisher get the better of him. But it was honestly tiring that he, Karno, had to take charge of this task because Leon couldn't bother to entertain the King’s senseless commission.

But Karno’s eyes did spot their target… And it was right beside the Black Punisher… Karno sighed in exhaustion, contemplating if, for a moment, he should just pretend to ignore the found vessel.

Whether he liked it or not, they were going to have another fateful meeting. If they retrieved the treasure together, in any case, then they'd have to team up. It wasn't like they'd never done so before. Besides, he knew Leon would be thrilled to be able to have a bigger crew to sail the most prized ship between both crews… The Zodiac.

The reason for the crew being split… Was precisely because of Captain Leon’s and now Captain Zyglavis’ different ways of running a ship. Not that it was a problem. Sometimes two crews were better than one. But Karno had a gut feeling that this particular mission would take all twelve of them. But that was just a hunch.

He suspected getting what they needed from this ship wouldn't be their biggest worry. After all, after studying their target, he grew to understand that this crew was… less than traditional. But their captain also had a treasure that the Zodiac pirates couldn't sit by and let them have—a treasure that rightfully belonged to the King.

***

Ichthys waved eagerly from the peer, gesturing wildly to the big vessel before them. "There it is! But they must have been expecting company. They look ready to bolt at a moment's notice." If the lack of a boarding ramp and the ready-to-go sails were anything to go by, they'd abandon the port the minute the minute Zyglavis’ crew was spotted.

But Zyglavis didn't seem bothered. After all, they'd dealt with worse. He barely scanned the ship with his own eyes before deciding, "That's not a concern. It doesn't look like but a few crew members remained to watch over the ship. We'll board them, find their stolen treasure, and leave without a fight."

"Oh-ho! I see Captain Ponytail thinks he's going to get the treasure before us." Their attention sourly turned to Captain Leon who was overzealously approaching, his boots thumping across the dock as if announcing his notable presence.

They were loud enough for me to take notice of. I peered over the railing of the ship, trying to stay unnoticed while I checked out whoever was making a ruckus. They were being quite loud and obvious in their intentions to board my captain’s ship. How did they plan to succeed like that?

They were certainly strange pirates, but my heart jumped at seeing one of them. Zyglavis... Captain of the Black Punisher. He and his crew were infamous for sinking pirate ships with nary a scratch on their own. He never failed in whatever task he set out to do.

Zyglavis was notably in dark blue, but then who was the dude in orange who looked ready to have a show-down with him? Was he someone important? My eyebrows furrowed.

Still, I wasn't dense; I was the second mate of this ship for a reason. They were talking about boarding our ship for treasure. I wasn't really aware of any major treasure aside from the book that the captain had under lock and key in his quarters. Still, it didn't make sense that the Captain Zyglavis wanted some small-time treasure from us.

It were moments like these that I was grateful for the first mate owning a falcon for a messenger-bird. It became useful for instances like these when flares would catch the attention of enemy pirates. A simple bird was great for passing along messages.

Escaping into the ship, I was swift in releasing the ready falcon, watching it fly from the open window. The mere sight of it would send the captain back to the ship due to the emergency.

Now that my message was out, all I had left to do was defend the ship from those other pirates until the captain returned with the crew; or, at the very least, stall for time.

I grabbed hold of my rapier, marching back up to the deck. But I had to pause and draw back into the nearby kitchen as two unfamiliar pirates walked past. They were clearly a part of either Zygalvis' crew or that other pirate. But how did they get in so quickly and so quietly?

I took a deep breath and thought through what my top priority was. I had to protect the captain's quarters. He would probably reprimand me for being a coward if I ran at the sight of being outnumbered. But one thing I couldn't let them do was take the ship.

Sneaking out of the kitchen, I ran to where the captain’s quarters were, closer to the deck. But as soon as I opened the door to leave the crew's quarters and head back to the deck, I froze. There seemed to be even more pirates gathered there than before and I was at a loss for what I could do to make the situation better.

With Captain Zyglavis among them I knew any kind of fight would be a lost battle. I could hold my own, but the stories spoke for themselves. I was still learning how to master my fighting technique. Going up against a captain was out of my skill set.

Still, my grip tightened on my rapier in preparation for a losing battle. There was always a slim chance for success.

Unfortunately... It didn't seem as though I was going to need to worry about fighting. I tensed up as a dagger was pressed against my throat, someone taking my arm, and pulling it behind me to prevent me from struggling much. He ordered with a threat underlying his tone, "Drop it." Only, I knew he wasn't threatening me… He'd more than willingly slit my throat if I made a wrong move.

The only thing I was able to do was steal a glance from the corner of my eye. He glared at me, his cool gray eyes trained on me like a practiced assassin—well, the one eye that wasn't covered by his dark hair, at least. I had no doubt he would have no qualms about taking me out.

How could this guy have snuck up on me so easily? These guys weren't making any noise at all to clue me to their presence. My weapon made a loud clattering noise as it hit the floor boards, drawing the attention of the other pirates to where we were standing. Now that I wasn't holding a weapon to defend myself, the dagger was removed from my throat and I was shoved forward, forced to stand before the terrifying Captain Zygalvis.

I tilted my head just a bit more to be able to meet his gaze.

His cold eyes trailed over me, not looking at all impressed with the mere sight of me. But his eyes lingered on mine, reading the defiance I held in my gaze. "You wouldn't have succeeded in fighting us. It is better this way."

The man beside him, who I could now recognize as the infamous Captain Leon of the Golden Wish, scoffed with his lips curled into a smirk. "This goldfish wanted to fight us?"

"G- Goldfish?" I was offended by the term, knowing it meant I was seen as nothing but weak to them. Which, I supposed they weren't wrong, but they had no right to call me a goldfish! “Let me go and I'll show you who the goldfish is!"

Leon looked like he wanted to further antagonize me, but Zyglavis was quick to interrupt. "If you won't aid us then you have no reason to be on board this ship."

I glared, wishing I had my rapier, my fear for these captains forgotten in place of raw irritation. "This isn't your ship to command! Besides, you're looking for treasure where there is none. You're wasting your time."

"Is that so? That's not a problem for us." Leon approached me, not at all worried that I might attack him. "We'll just have to keep a goldfish like you around." He stole the pistol off of my belt before he turned quickly, glaring at his underlings. "Enough playing around! Get in there!"

The man behind me had loosened his grip after Leon stole my pistol but knowing that they were going to break into the Captain’s quarters made me act rather than think.

I ducked out of the pirate's arms, stealing the sword off of his belt, before he could grab me and I had the sword against Leon's neck, exactly the same way I was being held before. "Stop! Everyone, stop or your captain is going to pay for it!"

There was a tense silence. No one moved and no one was speaking. The only person that reacted was Captain Leon. He laughed, and surprisingly it wasn't in a mocking way; he was genuinely amused at his predicament.

I glanced in the direction of incoming footsteps and tensed in preparation as yet more pirates joined us. "There's no one else on the ship. If there's any treasure it's going to be in the captain's quarters." The man who was speaking paused, causing those behind him to run into him. Huedhaut's eyes were wide as he looked at the scene in front of him. "Captain...?"

"Well?" Leon questioned, staring at his men, "What are you waiting for?"

"I told you not to move! I'm serious!"

"What are you going to do, goldfish? Kill me?" His voice returned to mocking me, making me feel like cutting him out of spite. "If you kill me, you'll lose your bargaining piece. Do you really think you could handle all eleven of the pirates on board this ship or the wrath of my first mate? But then again, if you don't kill me, what are you going to do? Continue to hold me hostage until the sun goes down? My crew doesn't have to listen to you, because you won’t act."

"What's stopping me from killing you?" I asked, hiding my uncertainty in my decision. He wasn't wrong, as soon as he was dead I'd likely find myself sharing a similar fate without having accomplished anything; but just standing there with a sword to his neck wouldn't accomplish anything either. Still, they were all paused to listen, some of them obviously not wanting me to harm their captain. "I'm a pirate. We kill people like you who get in our way. If I die in the process then we both die. But I die knowing I killed Captain Leon, the great wild lion of the sea. And you die knowing (Name) (Surname), a mere goldfish, killed you."

"You have a lot to learn before you can be a real pirate, goldfish. Let me teach you something." Before I could react, he had his own sword out, shoving mine away from his neck, giving him the space to face me properly. No one moved, but the odds were certainly stacked against me. "First of all, talk less when you're threatening someone's life. Now, why don't you show me what kind of skill you have with that sword?"

He didn't give me the opportunity to respond as he was already ontop of me with his blade. He was fast, almost too fast for me to react and defend myself. But I did take notice that they had broken the door down to the Captain's quarters, bringing my attention back to them. "Hey- AH!" I stumbled back with a hiss, a decent sized cut was across my arm thanks to Leon's blade.

He observed me with bored eyes. "Pay attention to your enemy in a fight. You've dirtied my sword with your blood."

I was worried about what they might find in the Captain's quarters. I'd never been in there myself, but I knew they had things I could never dream of touching. Leon had forced my attention on him but I couldn't help but be fearful of them taking all of our gold and leaving us with nothing. I wouldn't put it past them.

"Why are you backing away? You'll get cornered like that and it would give me the perfect opportunity…" He stopped speaking as he thrusted his sword forward, making me back awkwardly into the railing where he could easily push me overboard if he tried. But instead, he grabbed my wrist, holding my sword over my head as he pressed his sword into my neck, drawing my head up. "You'd never make it as a member on my ship. All of my men know how to fight."

He hummed as he glared down at me. He noted how nervous I looked under him, but there was something else he couldn't quite put his finger on…

"Leon," Karno interrupted as he looked between the two of us. "They didn't find anything. (Name) was either telling the truth or it's hidden. But we don't have the time to look through the entire ship."

"You didn't find what you were looking for because we don't have any treasure! I would know, I’m in charge of that!" I snapped, but I was still awkwardly pressed against the railing, my back arching slightly to keep my throat from being slit open like my arm.

"(Surename)!" My eyes snapped to the other side of the ship where my Captain finally made it. "Release my second mate, Leon."

Leon glanced at Karno, giving him the silent cue to take my sword and keep me still while he turned and faced my captain. "With a second mate like that I'm surprised your ship still sails. This one didn't put up much of a fight."

"What do you want?" He wouldn’t waste time with these pirates and jumped straight to the point of this encounter.

This time, Zygalvis stepped up to answer, "You have a treasure that belongs to us. Or, perhaps you simply know where this treasure is and don't have it on board this ship. Regardless, until you give us this treasure of yours, your second mate is going to remain with us."

"We have no such thing. I will not allow you to use (Name) to gain something I cannot give you."

Both Leon and Zyglavis had valid information that told them otherwise. Knowing that this was a lie, Zyglavis nodded his head once. "We understand your hesitance. Perhaps this treasure is more valuable than your navigator. In any case, we'll be taking him. Should you change your mind we'll be waiting." My eyes widened as I was lifted off of my feet by the larger, white haired member of Zyglavis' crew. They were going to take me and my captain wasn’t doing anything.

I felt helpless in the arms of my captor before a gunshot rang out and everyone fell silent. Turning my head, I swallowed nervously at the horrifyingly enraged look on Zyglavis’ face. He turned slowly, his back now towards me as he faced my captain who held a pistol in his hand, aimed at Zyglavis who now sported a hole in his hat. A shiver went down my spine as I heard his low promise, “You’ve made a grave mistake.”

“You’re not taking that boy!”

I never thought my crew would be so concerned over my well-being… regardless of rank. But inwardly, I knew that wasn’t it. My captain was greedy, above all else. Despite my hate for him, I was in danger on any other pirate ship. My abduction could not happen. I kicked the chest of my captor, who was caught off guard. Gasping for a breath, he knelt down so he wouldn’t lose his balance with me on the boarding ramp.

Finally free, I was prepared to send a second blow to his head and send him overboard if not for the loud explosion that rang out, shaking both ships and nearly sending me tumbling over the side of the ramp. My wide eyes searched frantically where the smoke was coming from. “He’s firing at such a close distance? He’ll sink his ship too!” Captain Zyglavis was crazy…

But maybe he wasn’t as crazy as my crew who were being devastated by these two opposing pirate crews. There were only a handful of my crew mates present; they couldn't fight all of these pirates and save me before I was taken. Was I worth that much? "Captain..." Whatever treasure these guys were looking for might be in their hands soon with the way they were mercilessly attacking.

Steeling myself for battle, I braced myself to return to the damaged ship. But, I wasn’t allowed to make it halfway across the ramp before arms swallowed me yet again and a sword was pressed against my chest. Karno, Leon’s first mate, had been observing this battle very keenly. More so, my inability to do much fighting. Unless I considered that little scuffle with Leon a fight. But he wasn’t going to let me run off when the battle was nearing its end. Holding me firmly against him, he commented, “You must be a valuable little goldfish. I wonder what you could be holding in that head of yours to warrant all this bloodshed. I wonder if we’ve already gotten hold of the treasure map we were looking for.”

I pursed my lips, determined not to speak to him. He was smart… but I wasn’t sure that I was actually what they were looking for. I was more like a bonus tool for future exploits. Noting how I wasn’t going to say more, he made sure that I was tied securely to the mast before leaving me alone to sail the ship per Leon's orders.

All I could do was sit hopelessly and listen to the devastation of my own crew. Zyglavis would leave nothing to salvage. If there was anything or anyone left, they didn’t have a chance at getting me back. But was this even necessary? These pirates could have just left with me. They didn’t need to sink our ship… My captain didn’t need to shoot at Zyglavis. Not only did it spell doom for the crew, but me as well. I was a prisoner to the most infamous pirates in the world.

"Hey..." I looked up as a kind voice quietly spoke to me, the pirate kneeling to my height. "Don't look too frightened. We'll make sure you're taken care of until we let you go. My name's Dui."

His brown eyes were so kind. If this were anything but me being taken captive then I might have considered befriending this kind pirate. Allies never hurt. But things weren't like that and I wasn't talking to these enemies. I looked away with an irked huff.

"Ah, Dui, maybe you shouldn't be so close to him! He’s injured!" Ichthys rushed over, nearly panicking as he tried to usher Dui away.

I didn't really understand the panic over a little cut... until for whatever reason, Dui snapped. It was like a switch flipped in him. His pupils shrunk as he glared down at me. "This goldfish... we haven't taken care of him yet? What are you taking so long for?" He studied me closely for a moment. "Oh. Unless you're just refusing to give us what we want. Pfft. They're a bunch of softies, not being able to handle a pathetic goldfish like you! C'mon! Let's see what we can get out of you! What's your position on that ship of yours?! What kind of secrets are you hiding?!"

I bit back a startled yelp as he pulled out his sword and swung down on me, miraculously only cutting the ropes. But the sword wasn't lowered and stayed trained on me. I stuttered out, "I- I was the second mate, I read maps and navigated and sometimes I helped cook. I don't know anything! What are you-”

"Useless." Without warning, he sheathed his sword and lifted me into his arms.

Ichthys immediately tugged on Dui's arm, momentarily saving me. "Wait, Shadow, put him down! Zyglavis is still using him!"

Without concern, Dui shoved Ichthys into the mast and carried me straight to the railing where the waters raged below the sailing ship. "Still don't know anything?"

I screamed, latching onto his shirt as he pretended like he was going to throw me over into the raging water that was tainted with debris from the recent battle. "There's an island! The captain has maps of an island with a treasure!" I wasn't sure what they were looking for, but I knew that specific island was said to have a treasure that many pirates died trying to find. We'd never really gone because of the frozen waters that made it difficult to get ships through. "There's treasure there that the Captain wants. I swear that's all I know! Put me down!"

"Treasure?" Dui repeated, wanting me to elaborate.

"Shadow, put the goldfish down!" Dui sighed as he turned around, looking up at Zyglavis with a disappointed face now that his fun was ruined. He dropped me to my feet without further prompting and I was left shivering in front of Zyglavis. His cold eyes were glued on me as he finally commanded, "You mentioned an island that held a treasure. Direct us to it."

I crossed my arms indignantly despite how I was still shaken up. He just tore apart my crew like it was nothing. Yet, just like the stories… his ship was undamaged. "Do I look like one of your lackeys? I'm being held captive and I was nearly thrown overboard. Excuse me when I say that I refuse to cooperate with any of you."

"We're not giving you a choice. You either give us what we ask or you can find yourself spending your time in an uncomfortable cell well below deck."

"Oh. Were you trying to be civilized when you destroyed my home?"

There was a tense silence between us and he finally responded to my goading, "We can be uncivilized if that's what you'd prefer. Or," He added, more intent on having my free cooperation. "You could do as we ask and you'll be returned to your crew unharmed. If you had been paying attention, they’re alive and on shore."

Heeding his words, my desperate gaze shifted back to the land that was steadily getting smaller. Even from a distance, I could see the chaos that was still going on. It would take some time for them to recover… but those that survived would band together again.

Zyglavis was clearly threatening me and I was sure what Dui just tried to do to me would pale in comparison to Zyglavis' treatment. I didn't have many choices. I could either wait for my captain to cooperate, resulting in me having an unpleasant stay with Captain Zyglavis and Captain Leon, or I could do what would inevitably happen and just tell them where the supposed treasure was. Either way this ended with them winning. "I don't know if it's what you're looking for… But give me a map of the northern sea. I'll find your treasure and you'll take me home.”

"I'm glad you're being sensible about this," he commented as he turned to his first mate who was wholly glaring at me—the same one who held the dagger up to my neck just a short while ago. "Scorpio, get the map he requested. Tell Krioff to come here. We'll need him."

***

It was a long journey to the island. It would take at least two weeks or more at the rate we were going, not to mention we had to stop, switch to their larger ship, the Zodiac, and resupply before making the long journey across the ocean. But with my cooperation, they surprisingly kept their promise and I was allowed to stay in a room that was adjacent to Captain Zyglavis. It was almost like a guest room of sorts, only it wasn't specifically for my comfort. I was placed so close to the captain's quarters purely so he and Leon could keep an eye on me during the nights.

Still, I was thankful that I didn't have to share a room with anyone, or that they didn't have to have me under surveillance 24/7. It was hard enough being a captive to pirates, but I was well aware that women didn't always get the best treatment. I was lucky enough with my crew to have the favoritism of the captain. But these guys… I had to keep up a manly facade for as long as possible. I didn't want to know what they'd do if they found out… Especially that infamous wild sea lion.

But the crew... they at least seemed to like me. I began to help around in the kitchen as soon as they trusted I wasn't going to skewer anyone with a knife. It was something to do, and they seemed to like my food opposed to the usual spice they got when Karno was their chef.

“Hm… I don't understand,” Karno muttered, his eyes peeled on the fish that I was busy grilling. “How could you possibly make something have flavor if you don't add any flavor to it?”

“I am adding flavor,” I argued, gesturing to the array of spices on the shelf that I doubt he ever even looked at. “There are more kinds of spice than the ones you use. Where the hell do you even get them imported from? I've never had something so horrible before… I swear I wanted to drink the whole ocean after I ate your dishes.”

“I have to disagree,” he hastily argued with me, not looking pleased that I basically said his food was disgusting.

“Your crew mates have to disagree,” I insisted. “Karno, are you the only chef between you guys?”

He wanted to remain silent, but he wasn't the only one to cook meals. “Huedhaut sometimes cooks for the Captain, and Partheno and Tauxolouve will cook when I have other duties. But I don't understand what you're getting at. They've always eaten my food.”

“No complaints?”

“Well…”

His hesitation was enough to answer me and I huffed in amusement. Turning the fork over in my hand, I held out the handle of the fork to Karno. “C’mere. I'll show you how to season your food without poisoning your crew.”

He faltered as my hand wrapped around his wrist, tugging him in front of the stove. Watching my careful motions as I guided him between his familiar spices and seasonings that lined the shelf, he was curious.

“(Name),” he called my name suddenly, making me pause to listen. “Where'd you learn to cook? You seem to know your way around the kitchen.”

I fiddled with the fork I had pulled from the drawer, poking uselessly at the fish. “Just another trade I picked up on the water. I felt useless when I first became a pirate. I only knew a few skills like map reading and using the sky to navigate. So I became a pretty prized navigator over time. But… I like to consider myself a jack of all trades.”

“Well, I sure hope we didn't steal your crew’s only top chef.” He made the joke as a means of making light conversation, but he hadn't intended for me to look so uncomfortable with the topic of my other crew. But when he thought about it, he was the first mate of his crew. It could have been seen as him trying to pry for information. “I hadn't meant to make you uncomfortable. Why don't we just-”

“If you're willing to listen…” I paused, turning over the grilling fish. “Do you think,” I fell silent again. He was just another pirate… I pursed my lips. There's no way he'd keep a secret, even from his captain.

Karno glanced around before sliding the door closed, returning to my side, helping me with the cooking as he followed my motions. “Some things need to be kept quiet, right? I'm willing to give my advice or lend an ear. It's just a few of my personal duties.”

I sighed. He was fairly insightful compared to how dense he was in regards to the tastebuds of the crew. “Then… I just want to compliment this ship and its crew. You value each other and… It's nice. I'm just a captive but even I sort of feel at home here.”

“I see.” Now Karno was getting a better picture of where I was from. From what they found out, my crew didn't have the best reputation. In fact, they were just lucky Zyglavis didn't choose to kill them all and ask questions later. I was seeing what a good crew looked like for the first time. “Your crew doesn't value you as a member, does it?”

He was very insightful. I hadn't even said much regarding my own crew but he connected the dots so easily. No wonder he was the first mate of his crew… Though, he sounded as if he had more duties than usually entailed to a first mate. “I'm Captain's favorite tool… Not much different than now. I'm just a means to an end.” I had vague thoughts of wanting to join this crew, but I knew my gender was the only thing stopping me from requesting to basically jump ship.

“Leon and Zyglavis might seem like they're doing nothing more than using you,” Karno started carefully, his eyes trailing over to check my expression. “But they're going to take care of you. Until we return you, you'll be treated as one of us.”

I hummed, grabbing some plates to start fixing the meals. “Thanks. I'll, uh, do my best…” Maybe if I really impressed them then I wouldn't have to go back…

***

They were more than certainly a lively crew. Meals were always full of food, laughter, and booze, but it seemed that even a seemingly quiet night could turn noisy in an instant.

I was quietly sitting in their meeting room, reviewing the various maps they had provided me with. There were lots of dangerous places to avoid. But if I marked them out then Scorpio and Krioff could easily avoid them and get us to our destination. Their jobs just depended on me getting this right.

I flinched as the door slammed open, rattling the bulletin board on the wall. Ichthys pointed at me with so much conviction in his eyes that I swore I did some unforgivable crime. But before I could ask, he announced, “You! You're going through a rite of passage!”

“A- A what?” I blinked. I was just a captive, what did I need a rite of passage for? It's not like they'd kick me off their ship if I failed… right?

Without having time to question their antics, Teorus pulled the book out of my hands, laying it on top of the various maps I was going over. Ichthys, on the other hand, grabbed my arm, tugging me between the two of them as they took me up onto the deck where there seemed to be quite the commotion. They had benches set up around the center of the deck and a good portion of the crew were gathered around.

I glanced at Ichthys who pulled me away from my studying. "What's going on?"

He grinned at me excitedly, "You're going to battle!”

I faltered, immediately trying to pull away from the set-up sparring ring. The last time I sparred with anyone from their crew… it was their captain. Leon told me himself that I was nothing compared to his crew. “Hold on- Wait, I'm not fighting anyone.”

Teorus tugged my opposite arm along with Ichthys, mercilessly tugging me to the crowd where they shoved a sword in my hands. “Sure you are,” Teorus encouraged carelessly. “It's just for fun. We want to see how you really fight. We didn't get to see your fight with Leo. Besides, you'll never be a man if you don’t win a fight.”

“I’d rather not repeat that, thanks! I’m fine with being a goldfish, in this case.” I tried to shove the sword into Ichthys’ arms, but he just wrapped my hands around it, shoving it back into my chest.

Helplessly, my eyes met Karno’s and he simply laughed at my state. “You don't have to win. They just want to see what you can do.”

“I can't do much, I swear!” Despite how I was pleading to leave, they were quick to usher me in the middle of their man-made circle. “I'm really not a fighter! Is this necessary?”

Aigonorus suggested lazily, “If you're that worried, you can fight Dui. He's not good at fighting either.”

Dui? I was pretty sure I only met him once when he tried to throw me overboard. Are they sure he wasn't a fighter?

Still, just as I was horrified to be shoved in the middle of their circle, Dui didn't seem too thrilled to be the center of attention either. “Krioff, can't you help me out here?”

“No,” Krioff shook his head. “Once you're in the circle, there's no getting out until someone wins.”

“That's not fair,” Dui pouted at being stuck in the fight. “You guys told me I wouldn't have to do this again!”

“Be a good sport,” Ichthys cheered on his best friend. “(Name) needs someone on his level that he can go at! Come on, are you boys or are you men?”

My eyes widened as our gazes locked together. After an awkward moment of silence between us, I offered, “I forfeit. You can win.”

“Heeeey!” Ichthys angrily shouted at me, “No forfeiting! No one's leaving this circle until I need to come in with bandages!”

My wide eyes moved back to Ichthys, hoping I was just hearing things. “Please tell me you're not the medic…”

“Yup! I sure am!”

I groaned in distress, turning back toward Dui who was looking back at me with equal unease. I pleaded quietly, “Please, take it easy on me. I don’t want my life to rest in his hands.”

“If it makes you feel better,” Dui offered with a slight smile of encouragement. “He’s not the head-medic. Huedhaut’s in charge of that.”

My eyes narrowed on Dui who seemed to be adjusting his grip on his sword more seriously. “I guess that’s your way of telling me you won’t take it easy on me… I’ll try not to make it too easy for you then.” Dui was about my size, but I wasn’t sure that they realized being a female left me more nimble than they were. His motions were wider and more open compared to mine. I also wasn’t entirely incompetent with a blade, which gave me the advantage in this case. I slipped past Dui and had my sword beside his neck in one swift motion.

For a moment… I felt like I had an opportunity to get revenge for all my fallen crewmates. But the eager cheers of the pirates around me pulled me out of my thoughts and I nudged the back of his head with the handle to show that I had won the fight. I tossed the blade aside as soon as I had the opportunity of being declared the winner, but Dui regarded my frustration with curiosity. “(Name)...?”

Ignoring him, I ducked out of the rambunctious crowd of pirates who were already setting up for their next match. It seemed like it was going to be a long night of battles for them. Their energy was refreshing, but it wasn’t something I felt that I had any right to enjoy. They weren’t my crew and if any accidents were to occur… Well, they weren't going to catch my secret just yet.

“Tch, what are you doin’ up here?” Scorpio’s voice called out, making my eyes shoot up in panic. There were only a handful of pirates I didn’t want to tick off on this ship and he happened to be one of them. I hadn’t realized I’d walked all the way up into his territory until he started glaring at me with those fierce eyes. It wasn’t a wonder that he was an assassin at one point in his life.

“Sorry,” I instantly apologized. “I didn’t mean to bother you. I was just getting space from…” I glanced back silently at the wild pirates.

Instantly, Scorpio understood what I was wandering about for. “Hey,” he called out, grabbing my attention again. This time, he didn’t seem so hostile. “How long ‘till we get there?”

I hummed. Being one of the navigators for this crew I assumed he’d know something like that. Unless… he was just testing me? “I think… a week at least? That depends on how fast this ship can sail. Just because the course is charted doesn’t mean we’ll get there as fast as I think. The air is only just starting to get cold. So, tell me, how long is this going to take?”

“Smart ass,” he muttered, his eyes staying locked on the dark waters ahead. “This ship’ll get us there in a few days now. She’s fast enough for you.”

I hummed, leaning on the railing as I gazed up at the sky. “I guess she is. The sooner we get in, the sooner we can get out. And the sooner I can go home…”

“You don't sound eager.”

I shrugged. Scorpio was one of the scarier gods on board the ship despite how I had to work with him to set our course for the treasure. Despite how reliable he was, I was hesitant to say much about my situation. I'd had the perfect opportunity to say what was on my mind back when I was cooking with Karno. I certainly wasn't going to say it to this foul-mouthed pirate. “A home is a home.”

His eyes stayed locked onto me for a moment longer. He had a feeling there was more to it than that, but he wasn’t about to push for information. In the end, I was just their captive.

***

I crossed my arms, desperately rubbing the chill from out of my bones. The cutting wind did nothing to help me warm up, but I was stuck out on the deck in this god-forsaken weather thanks to the two captains who thought I needed to be there to help survey and note our surroundings. As things were, the ship could no longer move forward and we’d need to row the rest of the way to the frozen landscape ahead.

I fidgeted, my eyes narrowing as I scanned the freshly fallen snow on a nearby iceberg. I grimaced, half listening to their conversation that suddenly concerned me. Poking my mouth out from behind my warm scarf, I hissed, “You think I’m leaving this ship to go out there with you? Hey, I led you here, but that’s your funeral if you want to go out treasure hunting.”

“We’re trying to avoid unnecessary troubles,” Karno tried to reassure me, adding, “That’s why we need you to go with us. We need someone familiar with the island-”

“I’m not,” I interrupted him without a second thought, causing him to sigh. It wasn’t that I wanted to be difficult with them, I just wanted nothing to do with an island that was nothing but dead trees, snow, and rocks. All of my survival skills were useless in a place like that. “I’ve read about this place, sure, but I don’t know enough to ensure that we all make it out alive. If you’re going then you’re going without me.”

“I disagree,” Leon called out, immediately earning a glare from me. “I’m going to that island and you’re coming with me. We’ll see what a prized navigator you are on land.”

My eyes narrowed, but I knew if I kept arguing with him that it would only lead to them simply tying me up and forcing me along. Griping quietly to myself, I muttered, “You’re ridiculous. We’re going to die.”

Leon still didn’t seem too fazed with my complaints, simply brushing me off by saying, “I think you forget who you’re traveling with, goldfish.” Flicking his wrist in a gesture for me to leave, he ordered, “Tell Teorus to get you more clothes. It’s going to be colder in the snow.” His tone was blunt, warning against any disobedience.

I glared at him, our eyes locked in a heatedly silent war before I broke eye contact and stormed off into the ship. “This is not in my job description,” I muttered to myself as I began the search for Teorus. These Captains were insufferable, though I was sure Leon was the worst when it came to ordering people around like he was some kind of tyrannical king. I was convinced Zyglavis was going to be the rough one to deal with at sea—I was sorely mistaken. The only thing I could do under these conditions was to prepare myself for the frozen hellscape outside.

***

I shivered, trying to rub warmth into my arms as we rowed across the icy waters, leaving behind the large ship. It wasn't that Teorus hadn't given me enough clothes… But that it was just too damn cold.

It was me, Leon, Karno, Dui, and Krioff sailing out to the frozen island. We were separated into two groups. Karno, the first mate, teamed up with two members of Zyglavis’ crew, and Captain Leon teamed up with the unfortunate little me.

Taking notice of my shivering, Karno asked, "Do you need another jacket?"

I glanced at him and noticed that he was prepared to take off his jacket for me. Why couldn't I have been put on Karno’s team? I lamented my loss, but I quickly shook my head. “N- No. It's fine. I'm just a little chilled... You'll be cold if you take your jacket off.” Besides, Leon would only get upset if I made his first mate get sick just because I didn't dress warmly enough like he told me to.

A yelp escaped my lips as something obscured my vision and I was left in the dark. My eyes widened and I looked up as it lifted slightly enough for me to see and settled on my head at an awkward angle. “Wear that to keep your head warm. If you take it off I’ll consider cutting off your hands.”

Taking heed to Leon’s warning, I tried to look up at the warm thing he placed on my head, only to realize his hat was gone from his head, leading me to the conclusion that his hat was on my head. Leon's hat was on my head, his precious pirate cap. I buried my red cheeks into my scarf, whispering a quiet thanks.

He could be rude, he could be commanding, he could be overbearing, but he could be very kind where he didn't need to be. Leon was an enigma that I failed to understand. Or maybe this was just his apology for dragging me off of the ship.

…as if that guy knew what an apology was.

Still, this man never failed to confound me.

***

“Leon, stop,” Leon paused to regard me, taking in my wary expression. “It’s not solid here. One wrong step and we could fall through the ice.” I could feel the subtle vibrations caused by our footsteps. A wrong move could send us to our doom, but the chances of that weren't high. As long as there were no immediate cracks or splintering then we should be fine.

Kneeling down, he tapped the ice realizing that I was right. We were standing over something hollow. He certainly didn't want to find out if there was water beneath us or not. Rising back to his feet, he glanced up and down the path we had been following. “Is there another way around this part?”

It was no use looking at the map they provided me. This island wasn’t something they had much information on. What they did have, proved useless in a moment like this. I had to try and piece this island together from memory. “Hold on…” I dropped my bag by his feet before I began to scale a boulder that was thoroughly covered in frozen ice and snow.

“What are you doing?”

He didn’t sound too impressed with me, watching as I precariously balanced myself on top of the steep surface. “I’m searching. I had a feeling about this island so I made sure to study it. It's hard to map snow and ice but... If this is what I think it is, we should be standing... In the middle of a river. And that,” I pointed to the steep plateau on the other side of the river. “That has to be an inactive supervolcano which must have been flattened out by years of weathering. We’re getting closer to the east side of the island which is where the others should be on route to.”

“You have no concrete idea on where this treasure may be?”

I shook my head while I tried to climb back down without falling into the snow. “The notes said it would be more toward the center of the island, I think. But if we go any more west we’ll be farther over that river, exactly where we don’t want to end up if this ice proves unstable.”

Leon’s eyes narrowed as he commented, “You never mentioned that there was a river here.”

“Well... I didn’t think it would be important. It’s so cold that I thought it would have been frozen solid with layers of ice and snow packed on top.” I huffed as I picked my bag back up and slung it over my shoulder. “I wasn’t expecting the ice to be so shockingly thin for a place that’s so cold. Unless... it froze over and then the water receded. That would just mean that there are caverns beneath us.”

Leon’s eyes pierced into me fiercely as he followed me through the snow, quickly grasping the back of my coat and dragging me to a halt. The sudden stop made his hat fall over my eyes and I pushed it up just in time to find him shooting me an unpleasant gaze. “A good navigator tells their crew everything they know. I have men out there that don't know anything about this terrain.”

“I hadn't considered this!” I snapped, glaring at him as I pulled my arm out of his hand. “And don't consider me your crew! If they die out here that's your fault! I told you it was dangerous! If your navigator, Krioff, is worth anything, he should've noticed!” Refusing to let him blame me for the lives at stake, I turned and stormed away, “Find the stupid treasure on your own! I'm going back to the ship.”

“We’re not finished here!”

“I am! I’ve had it with your stupid treasure hunt! I’ve had it with your crummy attitude! You can stay on this island and die for all I care!” It was silent as I continued to storm away. Usually Leon would tease my anger with some kind of casual retort or yell and threaten me. I didn’t get any of that. I only got the sensation of the ground shaking violently as I tripped into the snow, the pirate cap completely flying from my head and onto the ground. Looking up, I warily glanced back at where Leon was supposed to be. “Leon...?” There was no answer and I quickly stood to my feet, prepared to run back to where I last saw him. “Captain?!”

“Don’t-” I froze at the sudden word. Where was he? “Don’t come closer! You’ll make it worse!” I glanced down at the ice and noticed that it was splintering in my direction. The sudden tremors that shook the island must have loosened the ice beneath him enough to make a decent size hole for him to fall through. But I relaxed slightly as I saw him lifting himself out of the cracked ice. “Don’t just stand there, you stupid goldfish. Get off the ice. Move!”

He didn’t have to tell me twice as the ice shifted beneath me. Running as fast as I could through the snow, I slid to a halt. What would I do if Leon fell through the ice? He would probably drown and die. Would they blame me for his death if I made it back without him? But I just said I didn’t care if he died…

But... If I didn't help him then his death would be on my hands... and he wasn’t a bad captain. He took care of his crew. They were so nice to me. Why did I have to be so rude to them? Leon did a lot to keep me warm and fed and hydrated.

Damn it! Couldn't he have been a bad guy for me to leave for dead?

He may have told me to go, but I wasn’t going anywhere without him. Turning back I noticed he had yet to pull himself out of the crack in the ice. It was too slippery for him to climb out on his own. “Leo!”

Dropping my bag beside his hat, I ran back to him, surprising him by taking his hand.The last thing he was expecting was for me to grab his arm, trying to lift him out. “I thought I told you to leave!”

“Don't worry, I will. But not before you’re safe.” He wasn’t about to argue as it was easier to climb out with me digging my heels into the ice to pull him up. He didn't deserve to die out here in this frozen wasteland. A great captain like Leon had better places to meet his demise.

Successfully lifting him out of the hole, the sudden slack of his body being freed caused me to slide to the ground soon after. I was relieved to feel that the ice wasn't cracking further beneath us, which meant we could safely make our way off of the river.

“You're supposed to listen to a Captain’s orders.” He grumbled as he tried to brush off the snow that was on him, watching me also rise to my feet to get the snow off of me.

“Well,” I tried to excuse myself with a teasing smile despite my labored breaths, “You could make up your mind. I tried to leave and you told me to stay. I tried to come back and you told me to leave. You're a pretty fickle captain.” At one point I would have fought him, I would have left him to die, I would have told him he wasn't even my captain to listen to. But after spending so much time with him, I was getting a feel for his personality and he wasn't nearly as arrogant as he tried to be. Trying to rectify what I said earlier, I suggested, “Do you want to go find them? I know what path they’re taking, so they shouldn’t be getting to the river just yet. Alternatively, we made it this far and could scope out one more place before we move on. Of course, I think Karno-”

“Hold on.” I paused to regard him as he looked contemplative. He didn’t seem worried or even half as emotional as he was before, and he came to a quick decision. “They can take care of each other with Krioff guiding them. You said you had an idea on where the treasure might be. It’s better for us to get this over with and leave so no one’s in further danger.”

My eyebrows furrowed as I tried to understand his motives. It made sense, following my suggestion, but he was letting the other team continue on without warning that the river was splintering. Still, part of me was hoping he’d call this wild-treasure-hunt off. I let out a dry laugh. “Yeah… They can take care of themselves. I think I know where the treasure is, so we can make a quick trip. Though, I thought after almost dying you might have reconsidered keeping us out here in this deadly environment.” I continued to mutter minor complaints to myself as I stormed down the path of the river.

His eyes, however, never left me. If he had any sort of further explanation for me, he kept silent about it. Instead, after snatching his hat off of the ground, it was a quiet journey to the center of the river. It seemed I was correct in assuming where the treasure would be since there was an even smaller island that was situated at its very center—a pretty conspicuous place to hide riches.

It didn’t take long for us to find what treasure there was. It wasn’t much, but it seemed priceless enough. Some unfortunate soul probably thought it’d be safe on the island; that certainly wasn’t the case from these Zodiac pirates.

I was relieved we were finally leaving, as I was only growing more and more agitated being around Leon and his care-free attitude. It was as if he couldn't care less that we were in a life-threatening environment.

But as I was walking and silently griping to myself, I heard a crisp crunching sound, making me pause to listen. Glancing down my eyes widened and I dared not move. Leon was still walking, oblivious to the literal thin ice I was on. I was afraid to even breathe with how splintered the ice had become. This was just my rotten luck to end up in such danger with a heavy load of gold on my shoulders. “L- Leo... The ice.”

He whirled on his heel to take in my situation. His eyes flickered to my feet, unable to see the danger himself from where he stood. “Can I reach you?”

“No…” I glanced around the ice that I was standing on but everything looked the same. “It’s not like what you fell through. The ice is probably too thin to support my weight and the added weight of the treasure. It's going to finish breaking. I'll fall through if I move.”

He assessed the ice I was standing on before seeing how still I was trying to balance the bag of treasure on my shoulder. “Can you give me your bag? You should be able to move without the extra weight.”

I shook my head slowly. “I can't make any sudden movements.” It was taking everything in me to keep myself from shivering from both fear and the chill that was settling in my bones. I bit my lip, but I couldn't think of a single way to get off the ice without falling through. “I can toss you your treasure, but I'm... not getting out of this.”

“That wasn't the deal,” he growled, not consenting to my plan. “We found the treasure, now we're going to send you back to your crew. We promised you as much for your cooperation.”

“You don't have a choice! Either you leave with the treasure or you stay here and die with me!”

“Just reach out your hand.” Leon extended his hand to me. His feet were firmly planted on a thick layer of ice, his eyes imploring me to listen. We were so close to the bank, why did something like this have to happen now? For once, he didn't look like the cruel pirate captain that took me captive. He looked like a pirate captain that was genuinely concerned about my life and keeping his promise. “(Name).” My eyes snapped up at his soft voice. He said my name... He never called me anything other than ‘Goldfish’. His eyes locked with mine as he tried to reach further. “Trust me. Take my hand. I'll catch you.”

I desperately searched his eyes. He was too far; But I had to try with his tempting promise. I reached out slowly, the ice crunching testingly under my movements. The slight shift of weight was putting a strain on the thin ice that was struggling to hold together. My fingers were just about to meet his, but the ground shook. “Leo-” The ice beneath me gave out and I fell forward. I wasn't sure if I blacked out after my head collided with the ice but I felt a sharp pain and then there was darkness.

Was I unconscious or was I just buried under the river? Was this it for me? The end was quite a bleak one, if I was being honest. It was just as dark and cold as my last moments alive were.

Faintly... I heard someone calling my name. Why was everything echoing around me? Was this what the after life was like?

For a moment the world felt like it was spinning. But after that? Stillness. Silence. Throbbing. “Mm- Ow-” Nope. This didn't feel like an after life.

“Idiot, don't touch it. I just bandaged it.” Hands roughly pulled my hands down, pinning them to the ground until I stilled. I waited another few moments before I willed my heavy eyelids to open. It was so cold I almost couldn't bring myself to fully wake up, wanting nothing more than to fall back into the warm embrace of sleep. But finally getting a look at our surroundings, I realized there was a fire ablaze beside me. That explained why that side of me felt warmer than the other. Instinctively, I tried to get closer, but I was chastised yet again, “Don't do that. The last thing I need is for you to catch fire.”

“Captain?”

He hummed before explaining, “We fell through the ice. There was an avalanche after the Earth started shaking. It wasn't bad, but the rest of the ice covering the river collapsed too. You were right about your theory. There are caves where water used to run beneath the island. It was the only place I could start a fire for us. Now that the river is exposed, they'll find us eventually.”

My head was pounding as I lifted myself off of the flat ground and pulled myself against the wall. Leon didn't look much better than I felt. His leg was wrapped up and he had blood on his face and hands. But I realized that there was also something wrapped around my head. I blinked in confusion. Was I bleeding? Did I get hurt? But then... Leon would have had to drag both me and our stuff to this cave to start a fire. “Did you take us here?”

He scoffed, not blessing me with an answer as he spoke, “Don't thank me. I'm just keeping my goldfish in one piece. We can't give you back to your crew if you're not alive.”

“You told me before…” I started awkwardly, feeling bad that Leon went through all this trouble in his injured state, “That I'd never make it as part of your crew. The guys from my crew tell me that all the time, especially when I can’t help out with their pillaging and plundering. I'm not a very good pirate... But the captain has some kind of use for me—that's what I'm always being told. And then you guys came along and it's the same thing. I'll never cut it, but I have use so I'm not expendable. But you have your treasure! You got what you used me for but for some reason you didn't leave me to die, not even after I asked. I don’t think… you’re a bad captain. All of your crew, they don't have a particular use, but you care about their lives.”

“Yeah, you're useful to us.” He huffed but he didn't say anything more for a few moments. But I picked up that, oddly, he wasn't even speaking in past tense. “You're just a goldfish but for some reason you could get both the Wishes and Punisher crew to work together. I've been thinking about this ever since I found you in the ice. I don't think that damned King wanted us to find jewels. I'm starting to think you were the treasure we were tasked to find. That's why you were the only one on that ship. The King wanted our crews to cooperate. Not a stupid plan considering how powerful we are when all twelve of us are sailing. We’re Zodiac pirates and that’s how it should be.”

He wasn't outwardly saying it, but he was practically singing my praises. But... What did that mean for me? “I'm... sorry for the way I acted before. You can only imagine what being abducted feels like.”

He scoffed with an amused smirk. “I guess we could have been softer on a little goldfish like you.”

“Well, you do have a reputation to keep,” I quietly defended for him. Though, I suppose that was just him trying to make me feel better. As I stared into the flickering flames, we fell into a comfortable silence. Still, as much as I didn’t want to actually catch on fire, I was longing to get closer. I felt far too cold to feel the fire’s warmth.

Leon seemed to take notice of my condition as I was being too still and quiet for him. “Come here.”

My dazed eyes met his and I tilted my head in question. “What?” Did he mean… he wanted me to sit next to him? No way. Surely my thought process was just as frozen as the rest of me.

“You're not warm,” he pointed out. “It doesn’t take a scholar to see that. Come here.” He wasn't exactly patient as he glared at me me and questioned, “Are you going to make me crawl over there like this? You’ve got some nerve, boy.”

I quickly shook my head, seeing his grimace as he tried to move over to me. “No, no! You're hurt! Don't move around so much.” My head spun as I did as he asked and moved over to him. Kneeling in front of him, I was surprised when he pulled me against him, removing my jacket in the process. Swatting his hands away, I hissed, “H- Hey! What are you doing?!”

He hissed in pain when my knee dug into his wrapped leg, pausing his movements as he growled, “Stop fighting, goldfish. Damn, that hurt... Do you want to stay warm or not?” He reclined against his bag, glaring at me for fighting him. He obviously wasn't trying to do me any harm. But if I was so intent on putting up a good fight, then he was going to sit there and wait for me to go to him for help.

“Sorry…” I timidly apologized. He was the one giving me the wrong idea… I pouted. “What was I supposed to think? You were suddenly grabbing at my clothes.”

“You need to learn to trust me.” His voice was quiet as he pulled me against him more gently now that I was willing. However… he paused before resting me against him. His eyes lingered on the bright red color that stained my shirt. This time he did grab my shirt and he had to pin me down thanks to my frantic fight against him. This time, it was deliberate to get him off of me. But similar to our first fight, my wrists were captured above my head as he raised my shirt up to my neck. “You were injured?” Well, that was the only reason he could understand bandages. Unless…

“It’s… It’s just old injuries—don’t worry about it.”

Clearly, I was uncomfortable with bringing this up and this was clearly no place to be addressing such a thing. Leon had his suspicions, but he silently agreed with me, something I appreciated. Instead, he loosened his grip, changing the tone of the conversation. “I hadn’t noticed. The ice must have dug into your ribs when you landed. I have spare bandages you can use until we get back to the ship.”

For the moment, at least, my gender was safe. I counted this interaction as something fortunate. There were more important things to worry about and he needed my calm cooperation if we were going to survive. Sitting close by one another, he had me hold my shirt up as he firmly covered my ribs with bandages. “Um… Thanks for helping. I’ll try not to stress you out anymore.”

If he had any suspicions about me being a woman, he didn’t say anything as he offered his hand to me. This time, now that he was sure of my injuries being cared for, he was more confident in his decision to pull me against his chest. Still, I wasn’t sure why he felt the need to excuse his actions, “You’ll be warmer this way, and you can get some rest. I’m sure hitting your head didn’t do you any favors.” He wrapped my jacket around me, putting his arms through the sleeves as he held me snugly against him. “I’ll take care of you.” I could have sworn he said my name, but the warmth radiating from him was pulling me into a comfortable sleep as I nuzzled my face into his chest.

This, Leon realized, was the reason something seemed off when we first met. He had taken me for a boy this entire time… But through our sparse contact, he recognized the gentle curves of a woman. Strange, he couldn’t help but huff in amusement. I fooled ships of men into thinking I was just another pirate boy. He couldn’t fanthom my reasonings for choosing the life I chose, but he had to admit I did a damn good job.

***

Karno was beside himself with worry. He was acting captain of his crew as long as Leon was gone, but he didn't want to be captain forever. Leon and I had been missing for a few days. It was supposed to take at least a day to find the treasure and report back to the ship. But we'd been out there for double that time, prompting a search party shortly after the Earthquakes. Of course, Dui, Krioff, and Karno weren't as affected by the shaking ground since they were a good distance away from the plateau and the river. They were just worried about me and Leon, who hadn't returned at our meeting point and still showed no signs of returning.

“Karno!” Tauxolouve called out from the bank of the dried up river. “I think I found them. There's firelight in that cave. We need rope to get down there.”

Karno nodded his head, hiding the obvious relief he felt as he fired a red flare into the sky. “Good job, Lou. Let’s scope out the safest place for us to get them up.”

It was work getting down into the river bed, but as soon as they made it they were relieved to find us both alive, if not a little worse for wear. But Karno couldn't help but smile slightly at the sight. I was sleeping on Leon's chest while Leon was sleeping on top of our bags, his head hanging back. But he couldn’t miss the way his captain had a protective arm around my waist, something that might seem uncharacteristic were it anyone other than Karno finding him.

Despite how nice it was to see us cooperating, it was time to get us back where we belonged. He knelt beside us and tapped on Leon's shoulder, announcing quietly so he wouldn't disturb me, as I had an obvious head-wound, “Leo, wake up. It's time to get going.”

Leon groaned before he finally shook back into his surroundings, only slightly startled at having someone hovering over the two of us. “Karno…” His relief was short as he got to commanding his second mate, “It took you long enough to get here. Get…” He hesitated to call me by my hidden gender, choosing to momentarily keep my secret. “Get him warm so we can make the trip back to the ship."

Karno's smile never left as Leon harshly addressed him. “Aye, captain. I'm glad to see you're feeling like yourself. The crew will be here in a moment to help carry everything. Have you found the treasure?”

Leon pursed his lips as he glanced down at me. He answered quietly, "I think so..."

***

I was delirious and suffering from occasional hallucinations, but between being awake and falling unconscious the next minute, there were numerous other things Huedhaut and Ichthys had to place their attention on. The most notable thing… being what they found when replacing my bandages to clean my wounds.

Leaving the cleaning to Ichthys, Huedhaut turned his attention to Leon who was also bedridden in the opposite bed in the room. “I have to wonder… were you aware that our guest here is, in fact, a lady?”

“Don’t dwell on it,” Leon muttered, keeping his gaze focused on the wall ahead of him. “She didn’t want to tell me. I have to believe it’s personal. Yet… understandable. A woman her caliber would fetch a nice price, don’t you think?”

“A deplorable thought.”

“But a thought, nonetheless.” Leon finally glanced at Huedhaut from the corner of his eye. “She protected herself well. But we’re not addressing it unless she does. So until then, treat that boy as you would any of us.”

Pursing his lips, Huedhaut nodded tersely. “I’ll do my best to get his vitals stable.” Turning back to where Ichthys was trying to cool my fever, Huedhaut got back to working tirelessly to help me. The wound on my head was definitely something tricky.

Hours passed, some better than others. Some hours were so intense that even Leon was on the verge of leaving his bed just to make sure I lived. But eventually, both pirates were glad to be able to simply sit and watch my progress. Still, with the state my head had been in, even Huedhaut couldn’t say when I would awaken. So, he left me in the capable hands of the overly-concerned captain.

But, now that my fever broke and I was no longer suffering from cold spells, my conscious finally returned to me and I opened my eyes to get a view of where I was. Above me was a blurry ceiling, but it was still a ceiling that wasn’t made of rock and ice. I inhaled sharply, realizing that we were back on a ship, but I exhaled softly. I was glad we were rescued, even if I didn’t remember a single thing. I was just glad we weren’t still out in the ice. It was so warm being wrapped up in so many blankets. I wouldn’t mind if I stayed there forever.

“Are you going to sleep all day?”

I turned my head and found Leon watching me carefully. Him… he was the reason I was still alive and immediately, I had to pay him my respects. “C- Captain.” I sat up, but had to grip the edge of the bed with the wave of dizziness that came over me. “I-”

“What happened to ‘Leo’?” I stared in confusion at his interruption, letting out a quiet noise of confusion. “On the island, you called me Leo. What happened to that? And lay back down. You're not recovered yet. We don’t need you knocking that head of yours around.”

His words were harsh, but I knew he had my best interest at heart. I laid back against my pillows, trying to figure out how to respond. I never meant to be so informal with him, but we were in danger at the time, and I instinctively called him by his nickname. But he didn't seem angry that I called him Leo. Karno called him that all the time, but this was different. I wasn't a part of his crew.

My eyes fell onto his leg which was wrapped and propped up on its own pillows. “You got hurt really bad... Didn't you?”

“Not bad enough,” he immediately responded, his expression turning sour as he vented, “Hue simply refused to let me leave this room. Don’t think too hard on it.” His eyes trailed back to me, and he shrugged his shoulders, shaking his head at my concerned gaze. “There's no need for you to be so panicked. You didn't do this.”

“I can be worried about you, can't I?” I sighed, disappointment seeping into my voice as I averted my guilty gaze. “I can't help but feel like things could have been different if I'd just trusted you like you asked. Maybe we’d have been able to get off the ice in time.”

“Don't give me that ‘what if’ nonsense, goldfish. If you want to apologize for not listening then why don't you listen now?”

My face flushed at his obvious point but I couldn't help but feel slightly disappointed that he was calling me goldfish again. It was degrading and I was sure he didn't mean it in a kind manner. Well… I suppose it was better than him calling me woman, or some other form of gender degredation. After all, I was sure he’d seen my chest when we were back in that cave. At least, that’s what I thought. But he never brought it up.

A fist rapped on the door before it creaked open before Zyglavis stepped in. His eyes immediately locked onto me, completely disregarding Leon. “You've kept your end of the bargain. We've already located your crew and set course-”

“No,” Leon interrupted suddenly, dragging our attention to him. “We're not done with him. If we show up to that trickster and he says that isn't the treasure we were sent to find then we'll need him.”

“Do not call the king a trickster,” Zyglavis’ eyes narrowed, before taking his words into consideration. “If that is the case then we will need to approach this differently.”

Though they were arguing over whether or not to keep me longer, I was feeling partially relieved that I wasn't going back to my crew right away. Leon was tough, even more so than Zyglavis who was a stickler for rules, but they cared. The entire crew cared and that made me long for this sense of family that I just didn't get with my crew. My crew just wanted to use me, something that I was growing to resent the longer I spent with this protective crew.

“Goldfish. Goldfish!” My eyes snapped to Leon who was watching me harshly, his aggression obviously stemming from his argument with Zyglavis. “Make your choice. We can return you back to your ship whenever you want. We'll leave it up to you.”

If I went back now I knew I'd never get a moments rest upon returning—not that they knew that. All they were doing was giving me a short extension of my visit. As soon as we saw their employer of a King then they’d finish their business with me. But I knew I already had my mind made up. “If it's alright with you... I'll sail with you for a bit longer. You know my crew would probably blame you for all of my injuries. I bet they’d be upset.” I wasn't so sure my crew would care about the condition I was returned in; as long as I was returned.

Leon gave a self-satisfied smirk to Zyglavis. “There. He’s coming with us.”

Zyglavis' eyes stayed trained on me longer as if he could see right through me. But he left without further argument. Leon’s gaze flickered back to me now that we weren't bothered with extra company. “Are you hungry?” Upon quietly shaking my head, Leon argued, “Don't give me that. You haven't eaten since we were in that cave. And even then, cold beans don’t constitute as a meal.”

My eyes widened as he pushed himself off the bed and left the room. I couldn't argue until he walked back in a few minutes later with a plate. “Cap- uh- L- Leo, shouldn't you be staying in bed? Won't Hue be angry?”

“You think I'm going to sit around and take orders from them?” His eyebrows shifted upward. “I’m the captain here.”

I hummed quietly, nodding along. “Right.” He was the captain and as I’d always witnessed since joining them, he took care of his crew above all else.

Wait… How long had it been… that I stopped seeing myself as their captive? When had I started considering them a crew that I joined? Maybe… Maybe a time in the future would come when I would join them. Just maybe.

***

Having the door not fully closed to enjoy the ocean breeze, the papers in the room fluttered quietly. I knew from various conversations that our next destination was a certain kingdom that generously praised the Zodiac Pirates. Through all my conversations, I'd yet to get the name of this Kingdom. I was sure it wasn't meant to be some big secret, but it was like pulling teeth with these guys.

My only reason for wondering… Was because there was a particular Kingdom I was interested in…

“Hm? Oh, well, I suppose I should have expected to run into you here,” Tauxolouve's thoughtful voice addressed me as he walked into the meeting room. “Though, I have to wonder why I'm finding you here. If I'm not mistaken, this is going to be our last voyage together. Unless you're planning on making us another little treasure map as a gift for us taking such good care of you.”

He walked by, glancing over what I was looking at before heading straight for the drawers on the other end of the room. I shrugged him off. His idea wasn't a bad one, in any case. Regardless of if it was our last voyage, I had many maps memorized for treasure hunting. It wouldn't be a sin to mark a few for them.

Shaking my head to readjust my train of thought, I answered, “I'm not against the idea of leaving a little gift, but I was just going over the new maps they pulled out. I wouldn't want to pry in any Zodiac maps and pull out anything I'm not supposed to.”

“Smart,” he hummed. “Staying on Zyglavis’ good side is the reason we live longer.”

I tilted my head and teased, “I thought drinking water is the reason we live longer.”

“That's what Huedhaut would tell you,” Lou shrugged, chuckling as he bounded off with a few papers. Though, reaching the door he paused, turning around to regard me for a moment longer. His eyes narrowed before he asked, “How old might you be?”

I blinked, staring in confusion. Though, I had to wonder… How old was I? Rubbing my head, I finally admitted, “I'm actually not sure. I think I was stolen from my home when I was about… Eight? Was I eight? That's a difficult question.” I might've been able to remember, if my initial start to the pirate life had been under better circumstances. “Why do you want to know my age?”

“You’re young,” he replied with a curious edge to his tone. “Well, you appear youthful, in any case. Your face is beautiful and, take no offense, but not yet matured into one of a man. To be blunt, you appear soft.”

Inhaling sharply, I scanned him up and down but nothing gave me any hint as to what he was going on about. “You might offend me if I don't like your explanation. Why is my appearance so important to you?”

His shoulders jumped, and he quickly covered up a laugh. Still, he couldn't help but wink as he gave his explanation, “Well, I'm not sure if you're aware, but I'm an artist. I'm naturally attracted to beautiful sights. When on a ship full of rugged men, I tend to long for tender beauty such as yours. Ichthys is the youngest of us, yet you seem to challenge him. I wonder which of you is older.” The corners of his lips curled up. “Well, if you're ever inclined to let me immortalize you on paper, let me know.”

***

My heart thrummed the minute I saw the view of the Kingdom ahead. It was something I'd seen only once in my life… A long time ago when I was being stolen away on a ship. Now… I was heading back for the place I hadn't been to in so long. It felt wrong to be returning like this.

“You seem taken,” Partheno commented beside me. He joined me on deck not long ago so he could view our arrival to the dock. “Have you ever been to such a large Kingdom? There's none other like it in the world.”

“Actually,” I hesitated. Should I reveal that I'd been there before? Well, they were bound to find out anyway. Especially if we were going to be seeing their King face to face. “I've been here before. It stole my heart when I first saw the view of the Kingdom from the ocean.”

Partheno considered me curiously before gesturing to the land ahead. “Well then, welcome back.” He paused. “But… I'd advise you to be careful once we arrive. Most things that appear pretty in nature are poisonous under the surface.”

I regarded him with similar curiosity as he fled from my side, eagerly heading to where the boarding ramp was to be placed upon arrival. Shortly, we'd be going into the city with the King’s treasure. I wondered if any of these pirates knew what that was.

Seeing how close we were drawing to shore, I anxiously fled into the safety of what was considered my room. There were lots of options placed out before me now. I could go with them as their loyal navigator and declare myself the finder of the King's treasures. I could… also get into serious trouble if things went the wrong way. I could go with them and make myself as inconspicuous as possible.

On the other hand, I could stay in the ship and wait for everything to blow over and we'd be back on our merry way. I'd be free, charting courses wherever the wind would take us. I wasn't sure I was ready to make this decision for myself…

My eyes flickered up at hearing a knock on my door. Only, Krioff was the one standing outside when I opened it. He glanced at me before gesturing for me to follow him. “C’mon. You're coming with us to meet the King.”

“W- What?! Why me?” I wanted to stay on the ship! Why did I suddenly have to leave? I made my decision. I loved the ocean more than I loved solid land. “I'm not actually a Zodiac Pirate…”

But… Something else called me to return to this Kingdom. My morbid curiosity was what made me follow Krioff who answered, “It's a form of respect for the navigator to be there when presenting the King’s treasure. You're the one who found it. Besides, Zyglavis’ orders.”

Speaking of Zyglavis, he was waiting patiently for Krioff and I to join him. It seemed that the other pirates had already left with Leon, on their way to the palace.

His eyes peeled on me for a moment, Zyglavis made a swift gesture, leading us into the city as he recited his—more than likely—just made up rules. “Stay close. Don't make any noise or draw attention. Do not speak unless spoken to. Most importantly… respect the King.”

I hummed quietly, rubbing the bandages on my head. Though, I was sure the headache that was coming along was because of this upcoming situation and not because of my head injury. Still, I took the time to ask, “If it's that important, couldn't I have stayed on the ship?”

“As Krioff has already told you, your presence is necessary.” Pausing, he added slowly, “The king sometimes will reward the finder of his treasure with a wish. As we're aware, that would be you.”

He might've thought so, but I was sure the only reward I would get was a guarded room in the palace. “Why couldn't any of you take the gift? I'm sure any of the younger pirates would have gladly accepted it.”

“We are not to disrespect the King by lying to his highness's face.” Shooting me a pointed look, we finally caught up to the rest of the pirates, who were waiting for the rest of us before setting forth into the familiar royal palace of Heavenia.

If I had to go in there by all means, I was determined to stay out of sight between the Zodiacs, keeping between them as if someone would lunge out and grab me at any moment.

As nervous as I was, the minute the doors to the throne room opened it was like a sense of nostalgia hit me. The surprised pirates could only watch in surprise—some in horror—as I naturally bolted forward, the familiarity hitting me like a brick. I may have been too scared to return, but my feet moved on their own. The sight of the throne in front of me made me freeze just below the stairs. The sight above me was familiar enough for my eyes to lock into the figure in the golden chair.

“You should not be disrespecting the King in such a manner, you're injured,” Zyglavis reprimanded, a short distance behind me with the other pirates. But his attention didn't stay on me for very long as he looked back at the King. “Your highness, I apologize sincerely. He’s our captive that led us to your treasure. He may be overexcited; I believe this will pardon his behavior.” Gesturing behind him, Aigonorus and Dui had helped to carry the crates of gold.

As the silence pursued, the King finally inclined his head to observe me up and down, his eyes lingering on the bandages around my head. “So, you've finally returned.” His eyes flickered to the pirates that had gathered. “Thank you for returning that which is mine. You will be generously rewarded.”

“Your highness,” Karno started awkwardly, “(Name)’s the one who found your treasure. He's the one who should be accepting your reward.”

The King's eyes flickered toward the priceless artifacts placed before him. But just as soon as his eyes landed on them, he looked away. “I am uninterested in your trinkets. You may keep them.” His gaze landed back on me. “And you… Do you think yourself deserving of a reward?” Averting my gaze, I shook my head silently. “Have you elected to join these seafaring criminals?”

The way he asked that question told me he was severely disapproving of the way I was dressed. “Father…” I faltered at the negative attention that was placed upon me. Things were not the same as they were when I left and I didn't know what to say. The only thing I knew was the relationship of the man before me. He may not have been present when those pirates stole me from under his nose, but he was my father.

“The King has a son?!” Teorus exclaimed, making Huedhaut smack the back of his head with a forced hush.

But Leon took the moment to correct him, “The King… has a daughter.”

The King recognized me as well, and he didn't seem surprised that his best pirate crew was able to return his treasure as he asked, but he still acted indifferent to this development before his lips curled up. “Welcome home.” The pirates gaped at me but remained silent. “I was unable to do so before. But I'll ensure this never happens again.” With the snap of his fingers guards rushed out, apprehending me as if I were some sort of villain. Per the King’s orders, the bandana was forcefully pulled from my head, my hair cascading out of it’s hold. It might not have been enough to show my femininity, but the pirates were none the less shocked at the revelation that they’d just delivered the King’s daughter to him.

But even more shocking to them was the way I was being treated like any other criminal pirate. The various trinkets I wore from my adventures were also torn from me, discarded on the ground. I was lucky enough they didn't strip me completely naked from my pirate garbs then and there.

But I deserved it, didn't I? All those years ago, the invading pirates would have never found me if I'd listened to my father. I was his treasure, the one those pirates were looking for. Though, at the time I thought it was just a game, one that I wanted to play. It just so happened to be the longest game of ‘pirate’ I'd ever played in my life. It was my fault I was taken away from this oppressive life of being a princess. Did the King know all of what I’d done?

Guiltily, I shouted, “I'm sorry!” But was I apologizing to my father or the Zodiac pirates I’d grown close to?

“That will be enough for now.”

“I was stupid! I didn't know!”

But I was surprised when Scorpio stepped between me and the guards on standby, asking the question on everyone's mind, “What the hell is this?”

The King waved his hand dismissively. “You've completed your task and will be compensated. Return to your duties.” In other words, this was nothing to do with mere pirates like them. I knew that each of them were given their positions by order of the King; they were his personal fleet of pirates. These twelve were the smartest and strongest of them all, able to handle any mission handed to them. It seemed even returning me home was a surprise mission.

Scorpio thought it was going to be the usual funny bull shit the King pulled when they returned from their mission, but this was far from funny. Their goldfish was… a princess. But I wasn't a princess anymore and even Scorpio knew that much. Openly sneering, he hissed, “This is far from over.”

Though I refused to look at him with my watery eyes, his eyes landed on me and stayed on me for a brief moment before brushing past the other pirates. Which, at first no one moved. It wasn’t until I was taken into another part of the palace did they finally see themselves out.

13 notes · View notes